1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus relates generally to material handling apparatus and more particularly to ramps for loading land vehicles onto other land vehicles.
2. Prior Art
The best known loading apparatus for flat bed trucks and the like is the so-called beaver tail ramp shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,274. An alternate folding ramp construction for flat bed trucks is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,565. These patents addressed the problem of loading construction equipment such as tractors and back hoes on flat bed trucks for transportation between job sites.
While beaver tail type ramps have solved some problems in providing loading apparatus for construction equipment, a problem still exists in loading construction vehicles onto other vehicles where a beaver tail would inhibit the operation of the other vehicle.
For example, in many construction projects dump trucks and the like are used to haul away debris and earth. It is common in these projects to use loaders, back hoes, or tractors with loader and back hoe attachments for the purpose of working with a dump truck. Presently, it is the practice to transport a tractor with earth-moving attachments or a loader or other auxiliary vehicle on a trailer. Alternatively, the auxiliary vehicle could be loaded on a special flat bed truck designed for carrying such auxiliary vehicles.
It is an object of my invention to devise a ramp structure for use with dump trucks and the like such that auxiliary vehicles may be loaded on the dump truck, yet the ramp is demountable from the dump truck such that a ramp will not interfere with the operation of the dump truck. This obviates the need for trailers or special carrier trucks.
Previously, others have devised demountable ramps of various types for loading auxiliary vehicles on flat bed trucks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,705,081 shows folding ramps which may be tucked beneath the bed of a truck.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,156 shows a ramp using telescoping ramp members which may be folded against the tailgate of a pickup type truck. Yet other ramps intended for use in loading vehicles onto flat bed trucks are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,517,791; 3,510,015; 3,756,440; 3,550,801.
None of the ramps of the prior art is intended for use in loading construction vehicles on dump trucks and the like where it is important to have unobstructed clearance of the rear portion of the truck bed when the ramp is not in use.
My object has been to devise ramp for dump trucks and similar flat bed vehicles for loading auxiliary construction vehicles thereon such that the rear of the truck bed is unobstructed when the ramp is not in use.